The present invention relates to a digital camera having a 2D image sensor for measuring distances that are used to create a 3D reconstruction of an object.
It is known in the prior art is to measure distances using TOF (time of flight) cameras based on runtime measurements in synchronization with a pulsed infrared source and to carry out a 3D reconstruction of a measured object, based on the measured distances. The sensor of the camera that is synchronized with the infrared source, or the evaluation electronics assigned to the camera, is aware of the moment of transmission of the infrared light and the moment of detection of each individual pixel of the recorded image; i.e., the runtimes of the infrared light associated with the pixel. Since the detected infrared light can originate exclusively from reflections of the object to be observed, the distance of every part of the measured object to the camera, and thus a 3D reconstruction can, therefore, be calculated.
Also known from the prior art is to provide a so-called infrared cut-off filter in front of conventional 2D image sensors. This is required since these sensors are capable of detecting light to the middle infrared, in order to generate good quality recordings in the visible light spectrum. Without such an infrared cut-off filter, deep blue and deep red areas will appear too bright, and hot objects will also appear too bright and in unnatural colors.